Re: Wed Rhumie Visit

[Guest guest]

Betty,

I am so very sorry that you had the problem wit your meds, and of course to hear

that you are in pain.

I am not lecturing you but taking this time to remind myself as well as the rest

of the group to not only check your scripts before you leave the doc's office

but also before you leave the pharmacy. If they make a mistake in counting those

precious narcotic meds, technically they are not supposed to make a correction

after you leave the store.

I have yet to figure out how to inspect the scripts in a sanitary way while in

the store and also to not draw attention to the fact that you are walking out

with controlled substances. There are ppl who will hit you over the head for

those things. If the street going rate I hear for some of the things is anywhere

near correct, either a dealer or a user would definitely be interested in who is

taking controlled substances.

If any of you has any answers to these questions about security, please let us

all know!

Is the treatment any different for AS than RA? I thought we all pretty much used

the same meds, though some of the RA meds aren't officially approved for AS. I

do know of ppl who are treated for AS with RA meds now, and also that there were

those who were treated with anti TNFs for example before they were approved for

AS. If there are differences I'd be interested in knowing as I do have lots of

hand pain, but I just thought I was one of the " lucky " few per cent of ASers who

had hand involvement.

GA

[Guest guest]

Is the treatment any different for AS than RA? I thought we all

pretty much used the same meds, though some of the RA meds aren't

officially approved for AS. I do know of ppl who are treated for AS

with RA meds now, and also that there were those who were treated

with anti TNFs for example before they were approved for AS. If there

are differences I'd be interested in knowing as I do have lots of

hand pain, but I just thought I was one of the " lucky " few per cent

of ASers who had hand involvement.

Hi and Betty,

Although many DRs treat these the same, I asked my RH Dr what he did

differently, because I have ReA, and no symptoms in my back or core

body except the Costochondritis from the Fibro. He said, the

insurance co's are all so different, and when writing letters for

approval after a denial the wording can be tricky. If you are

diagnosed with RA and do not have it, then down the line if you move,

you have issues and my DR said, he can use the phrase is subject to

issues that seem to be RA and this medication treatment is the best

course of treatment at this time.

I have to agree with you on the RXs. I have a list in my daytimer of

what has refills and what I need at each next visit. It helps to have

my future dil working in the pharmacy and deliver my meds. She has

them on auto fill and calls me to make sure I need it. I called about

my BP meds, and she forgot the auto fill, and brought it to me the

next day. I am so lucky, I drove too much yesterday and now I am laid

up with ice on both knees and on full pain pills today. Sometimes,

you have to pay a high price to do things, and driving is awful.

I give copies to all my DRs when I see them, this not only makes sure

I know what I take, it helped when I was sent to the ER by my fam dr.

She had all the correct meds from all DRs. I take 9 RXs now, no room

for mistakes. The hospital had put me on half dose of my pain meds,

the 3 longest days of my life. The office copied the last paper, not

the current. Luckily, I had my purse and got it straighted out in

less than 24 hours. But the 6 hours in the ER were awful, no pain

meds except the nitro and I wasn't having a heart attack. Not to

mention what a headache I got, almost worse than my migraines I used

to have.

Best of luck in checking your meds, and not driving an hour. I would

not hesitate to count meds at the counter before leaving, as a

consumer we are entitled to check merchandise. I always open the

boxes of things of big ticket items to make sure there is nothing

broke or missing, so why not meds. We all need to get a backbone and

stick up for ourselves and our needs.